Did you know that the dachshund is named for the prey it was originally bred to hunt? The word dachs is German for Badger, their most common quarry during the centuries in which they were developed. The word hund simply means, "dog." The smaller teckel dogs, usually called "miniature" in English-speaking countries, are also named after their quarry: rabbits.

It is also interesting to note that one of the many special behavioural adaptations that were made in 18th century Germany was with the larger long-haired sub-breed was the predisposition to roll over on their back when a very large animal was approaching, allowing them to bite at the soft underbelly and genitals of the prey animal. In fact, dachshunds were once used in such a manner to hunt wild boar, over 10 times their size.

One of the fastest growing segments of the increasingly popular sport of hunting with dachshunds is the partnership of this little dog and falcons. The dachshund flushes the game out into the open or further up a tree with their incessant barking and working of their quarry. They are then trained to recognize when the falcon is ready to take over the chase and wait until the animal is dropped by the falcon.

The ancestor of the dachshund actually had much taller legs, though the rest of the body is just about the same. The major difference is the lack of "crooked" legs - a random mutation that was purposely brought into the breed to make them more valuable

A dachshund and a great dane have all the same parts - the exact same number of bones and all the muscles in the same general place. Their DNA is almost entirely the same. In fact, being the same species, all types of dog are able to successfully mate with another (provided the union is physically possible).

Though Queen Elizabeth II's corgis may be the most recognizable royal dog today, the royal houses of Europe have been enamored with dachshunds for centuries. One of their most ardent supporters was none other than Queen Victoria who started something of a dachshund craze in 19th century London. She was, after all, German by birth!

On a related note, the term Napoleon Complex was not coined for General Bonaparte himself, but for one of the dachshunds he owned on Corsica, who he referred to as Napoleon, too. This miniature male was a very dominant and picked unprovoked fights with large dogs on the island, very often winning. The one Emperor kept dachshunds all his life and was reportedly much fonder of them than most human beings.

The dachshund has been one of the most beloved dogs of artists for several hundred years. Michelangelo, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Rubens, DaVinci, O'Keeffe, Rembrandt, Picasso and Warhol all were devoted dachshund enthusiasts, perhaps because they are relatively easy to kept fed on a small budget.